Long but not pompous

Boy Names
1

Not expecting, just thinking.

My list of favourites is, for boys, almost entirely made up of two-syllable names, and it doesn’t make for great flow. Can you rectify this, Berries? The field’s wide open - classic or very unusual, so long as it isn’t a recent invention and it doesn’t sound pompous to me (I’m classing [name]Peregrine[/name] or [name]Winthrop[/name] in that category, for example, no offence intended to anyone who likes those names - but I’m fine with [name]Theodore[/name] and even [name]Percival[/name]).

I’d especially love it if you tried to sell me the name a little bit - I find meaningful histories and fun anecdotes help me to fall for a name much quicker than the sound alone.

Thanks in advance,
[name]Auburn[/name]

2

[name]Willoughby[/name]- In the 90’s movie adaptation of ‘Sense and Sensibilty’, [name]Willoughby[/name] is a handsome, poetry reading, fun loving character (who eventuallybreaks the heart of poor [name]Maryanne[/name] Dashwood). However, when I think of the most romantic rescuing of a damsel in distress scenes in movie history, [name]Willoughby[/name] must be included!

3

I think [name]Nathaniel[/name] makes a great middle name- not only is it three syllables, but the intonation is on the second syllable, which isn’t too common among boy’s names and makes for a great flow. I don’t think it’s overused in the middle either, like [name]James[/name] or [name]Marie[/name] are. I’m not sure if you’d want names that are closer to classic, unusual, or foreign, so here’s a variety:
[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Alessio[/name]
[name]Amedeo[/name]- One of my favorite names of all time, often associated with Italian painter [name]Amedeo[/name] Modigliani
[name]Alexios[/name]
[name]Atticus[/name]
[name]Anthony[/name]
[name]Benjamin[/name]
[name]Dashiell[/name]
[name]Elias[/name]
[name]Gabriel[/name]
[name]Gregory[/name]
[name]Malachi[/name]
[name]Raphael[/name]- Another one of my favorites. I love how it’s so gentle but strong, and it’s got plenty of great associations from painters to angels.
[name]Zebedee[/name]- I just love its quirkiness! It may be a bit much for a first, but I absolutely love it in the middle. It’s so zippy and energetic and happy to me.

4

Not sure whether some of these are too ‘pompous’ but here goes:

[name]Sebastian[/name]
[name]Lysander[/name] - Midsummer [name]Night[/name]'s [name]Dream[/name]; also the name of a Spartan warrior
[name]Rafferty[/name] - [name]Antoine[/name] O Raifteiri, Irish poet
[name]Gideon[/name]
[name]Barnaby[/name] - [name]Barnaby[/name] Rudge by [name]Charles[/name] Dickens
[name]Phineas[/name] - nn [name]Finn[/name]!
[name]Aloysius[/name] - [name]Sebastian[/name]'s teddy-bear in Brideshead Revisited
[name]Mordecai[/name]
[name]Julius[/name]
[name]Ignatius[/name] - [name]Iggy[/name] is a very endearing nickname
[name]Augustin[/name] - nn [name]August[/name], [name]Augie[/name], [name]Gus[/name]
[name]Caspian[/name] - [name]Caspian[/name] Sea; [name]Prince[/name] [name]Caspian[/name] from [name]Narnia[/name]
[name]Benedict[/name]
[name]Leander[/name]
[name]Inigo[/name] - [name]Inigo[/name] [name]Jones[/name]
[name]Llewellyn[/name] - Welsh, lion
[name]Alistair[/name]/[name]Alasdair[/name]

Good luck!

5

I love [name]Lysander[/name]!

Also love many of the other names on the pp lists. I think [name]Lysander[/name] may be my favorite. Also, I have to say [name]Willoughby[/name] reminds me of the SNL skit with [name]Rachel[/name] Dratch, [name]Scarlet[/name] Johanssen, and [name]Amy[/name] Poehler (and maybe [name]Tina[/name] [name]Fey[/name]?) who spoofed [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name] and wrote an ode to “Mr. [name]Willoughby[/name].”